Encyclopedia > Hydronium

  Article Content

Hydronium

Hydronium is a positively-charged ion that forms from water in the presence of hydrogen ions. The formula for hydronium is H3O+.

Hydronium is present whenever an acid is dissolved in water; the hydrogen ions released by the acid do not exist in a free state. Water will also spontaneously dissociate into hydronium and hydroxide ions, in the following reaction:

<math>2\mbox{H}_2\mbox{O} \Leftrightarrow \mbox{H}_3\mbox{O}^+ + \mbox{OH}^-</math>

The equilibrium of this reaction is far to the left under most conditions, and so pure water will have little hydronium in it. About 1 molecule in 10,000,000 is dissociated.

Since the reaction releases an OH_ ion, this ion's alkalinity balances hydronium's acidity, and water remains neutral (a hydronium ion concentration of 1 x 10-7.0).



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
David McReynolds

... over 6,000 votes, and also becoming the first openly gay man to run for President in U.S. history. Upon the request of fellow Socialists, McReynolds would run again ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 30.5 ms